


Family Through the Flames

by virgilistic



Category: Original Work
Genre: Corrupted Royalty, Family, Fire, Gen, Rebellion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-20 06:24:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15528075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/virgilistic/pseuds/virgilistic
Summary: We exchanged a solemn glance, and then we parted ways.However, we made a promise.Someday, when the stars are frozen in the sky and the tides are calm where they break, we will revive the flame, one way or another. The spirit of our kind will live on.





	Family Through the Flames

**Author's Note:**

> Known as "The Promise of Family" on tumblr.

I remember, long, long ago, the feel of wind twisting through my feathers and lashing against my cheeks.

I remember the sound of laughter as I walked through the village, the sound of children singing.

I remember the darkness that came and suffocated the warmth.

A blanket that smothered our fire.

That night was a night that I will never forget.

How could I?

The screams ring in my ears. The blood torments my dreams. The scars on my body haunt me in the daylight.

I will never forget, and I will never forgive.

Those of us who survived…

We were beaten down. We had nowhere to go. There were a scarce dozen of us who escaped the slaughter.

We exchanged a solemn glance, and we parted ways.

We made a promise, however.

Someday, when the stars are frozen in the sky and the tides are calm where they break, we will revive the flame.

This is the start of my story. A story that, admittedly, is rocky. A story of strife. But… really, this story is one of looking through the darkness.

My story is not one of survival. Mine is a story of life.

When I left the village, I had nothing. Not a penny, not a drop of water, not a crumb of food. Nothing but the clothes on my back.

I walked for days, it seemed. The sticks on the forest floor cut into my bare feet and the sun hardly ever broke through the trees.

Every small rustle in the bushes sent me into high alert. Danger was everywhere these days, and there was no way I was going to walk straight from one danger to another.

I walked for several more miles before I even came upon any kind of civilization. I tried my best to avoid it. As much as I knew that I needed water and food…

These people weren’t my kind. They were… an unknown variable. There was no telling how they would react.

But I…. I was so thirsty. Maybe if I could find a cloak to cover my wings…

I sighed.

It was no use.

These people… There was no way I could trust them.

I moved on.

I made do with what berries I could find that I knew were safe. For water… I managed.

I kept going.

On my… journey, of sorts, I met others.

The first was a girl. She had scales that climbed gracefully up her temple and a voice that moved like the tides at sea.

We met under… less than friendly terms.

I was woken by her voice. “Who are you?” she asked.

Nerves filled my system, and had she not been blocking the exit and my wing not been scratched too badly to fly, I would’ve fled in barely a second.

“I don’t believe it matters.” I replied instead.

“Of course it does.” She scoffed, her grip tightening on the dagger by her side.

I merely shrugged.

“I’ll only give as much information as you are willing to return.”

I watched her. Her eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips before taking a step back.

“Okay. My name is Caelia. I’m… running. But that’s pretty obvious, yeah?”

I shrugged. “I’m the same. Aksinya.”

Caelia nodded. The suspicion was fading from her features and her muscles relaxed.

“What put you on the run?”

I sighed and shook my head. “Soldiers, like everyone else.”

Caelia had merely frowned, even as she softly murmured her agreement.

We didn’t say much after that.

Somehow, without a word, we agreed to stick together.

Caelia became my closest friend.

When I grew sick in the wet fall months, she retrieved medicine for me.

When she was hurt in combat, I was there to treat the injury.

When Caelia proposed the idea of joining the rebellion… I went.

People from all over the world came to join the rebellion.

The royal power… well, they were cruel. A human pair, they cared little for any species but their own.

They sent out soldiers. Their plan was to eradicate every non-human village, town, and city there was.

My village was one of those.

Caelia’s family was no exception.

That’s why the rebellion existed. When we first walked into the camp, I…

I was in awe. One minute there was a boy with the tail and ears of a cat, and the next a girl with wings of an eagle would walk past, and not far from us a someone with scales and leathery wings lit a fire using only their breath.

It was amazing, so many people with so many differences banding together.

I… If I were honest, at the time, it was terrifying. But it was the kind of terror that was laced with hope, and excitement.

Where would Caelia and I fit in?

Her, Sirenborn. Me, Phoenixborn.

In a camp of magical people, where would we find a place?

We were directed to a large tent in the middle of the clearing. Caelia and I exchanged a hesitant look before simultaneously stepping in.

“Hello.”

The voice was kind. It came from a girl their age, sitting alongside her brother at a bench, papers spread out on the table between them.

“You’re new, are you not?”

I nodded.

“Nice to have you. I’m Jamil. This is my sister, Chita. We… we’re the leaders of this camp, technically.”

“Wow.” Caelia mutters. “I’m Caelia. We figured it would be nice to help the rebellion in some way. We’re not sure quite how we’ll help.”

Chita smiles at them. “There are quite a few ways of helping. We have people teaching first aid, and others teaching the new people how to fight. Some, with less visible… attributes, are learning stealth techniques. They help us get food, water, medical supplies, whatever from the cities we pass.”

I nodded. “Is it possible to learn multiple things?” I asked.

Jamil shrugged. “It’s up to you. We won’t tell you what to do. Caelia, if you use makeup to cover up some of your scales, you could be a Scout – the people who retrieve supplies. We do also advise everyone to learn fighting skills… just a precaution, y’know.”

Caelia looked thoughtful. “You may be right…”

Jamil smiled. “Well, you two can come sign this sheet – it’s just to keep track of everyone. When you’ve decided what position you want to fill, you can come back and write it down.”

“You guys will be sharing a tent, if that’s okay?” Chita was shuffling through papers as she talked, pulling out a map and handing it to them. “There are only two other people in there as of now. Angelina can be a bit of handful sometimes, but she’s a nice girl. Elian… they’re pretty quiet. They don’t talk much, but those two are friendly, you won’t have any problems.”

I smiled at them as we turned around.

The rebellion was afoot. Caelia and I… we were ready.

Now, years and years later…

I laugh.

Our story has a happy ending. The darkness fades in front of the light, the corrupted royalty fall.

I will never forget the family I lost.

But there is no need to dwell on the past any longer.

I have a new family.

A family made of a Siren’s child and a girl with crows wings, and someone quiet with the scales of a snake and the heart of a lion.

Who knew?

All I needed to find family was a rebellion and a near-death experience or two.


End file.
